In the last few years, quantum computing has moved from the theoretical realm to the fabrication and use of small systems that obey the laws of quantum mechanics and can be controlled and read out to perform short depth algorithms (https://quantum-computing.ibm.com). These systems are being used to better develop the underlying technology and to improve the control of these machines. As the size and computing power of these machines improves, it will be possible to solve problems that are intractable by other means. Developing algorithms for quantum computers is different than developing algorithms for von Neumann machines; new ways of visualizing the state of the machine and understanding how to improve the algorithms will need to be invented.

Robert Wisnieff joined IBM in 1986 after earning a Ph.D. in applied physics. He is the chief technology officer for the IBM Quantum Computing program, a joint effort of IBM Systems and IBM Research. Prior to this, he managed a group focused on finding novel quantum computing simulation techniques and applications of quantum computing. Dr. Wisnieff has been a member of the Defense Science Board for the U.S. Department of Defense since 2010. He has served as senior manager of the Microelectronics Research Laboratory, Interconnect Technology, and the Advanced Display Technology Laboratory. Prior to this he spent a year in a staff position for the research vice president of strategy and planning.

Dr. David Luebke is the vice president of graphics research at NVIDIA, where he helped found NVIDIA Research in 2006 after eight years on the faculty of the University of Virginia. Dr Luebke is an NVIDIA Distinguished Inventor and a Fellow of the IEEE, and has co-authored over 200 papers, articles, chapters, and patents. His principal research interests are augmented & virtual reality, real-time rendering, and the intersection of computer graphics with machine learning.

Michael Heckmeier leads the business unit Display Solutions within Performance Materials at Merck KGaA. He is responsible for the global Display Solutions business, comprising liquid crystals, OLEDs, and photoresists, as well as exploratory businesses such as liquid-crystal windows or smart antennae. Heckmeier is a member of the global leadership team of Performance Materials. He is member of the advisory committee of IMID/IDMC in Korea, Merck representative of the advisory board of “Freundeskreis der TU Darmstadt e.V.,” and a member of Baden-Baden Entrepreneur Associations. He is author or co-author of more than 150 patent applications and patents for Merck. Heckmeier joined Merck in 1998 and has had different responsibilities throughout his career. Among other roles, he has led the unit New Ventures Materials for the Merck Technical Center in Southampton/UK, and was head of the business unit Pigments & Functional Materials (today Surface Solutions) before being appointed to head of the business unit Display Solutions in 2017. Heckmeier has a Ph.D. in physics, a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, and an MBA in general management.

Display Innovations in the New Normal Economy 

The global COVID-19 outbreak has severely changed people’s lives. Prevention measures such as lockdowns and school closures have initiated a home-centered life style, even as we face the demands of zero contact and the need for increased medical resources in public life. In this environment, innovative display technology serves as a key interface for interpersonal and human-computer communications, as individuals aim to maintain social operations in our transformed daily lives.

Dr. Frank Ko is currently AUO’s president and chief operating officer. He has extensive experience in the display industry and is highly familiar with domains as diverse as manufacturing, R&D, marketing, sales, and strategy. Ko joined AUO in 2000. After several years of work in research and development, LCD manufacturing and integration, and TV display marketing functions, he became head of the TV Display Business Unit in 2005. He was promoted to associate vice president in 2007 and vice president of the TV Display Business Group in 2010. During this period, he successfully developed customers from major global TV brands, significantly expanded the mainland China market, and led AUO to become a primary supplier of LCD TV panels. In 2011, he served as vice president of the technology and strategic development office, and led the development of the company's technology roadmap and strategic direction. In 2014, he served as chairman and CEO of E Ink Holdings, Inc. Ko received his Ph.D. in photonics from National Chiao Tung University.